The use of population censuses as multi-subject data bases in the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the statistical-methodological purposes of the population census are of great importance: The joint organization of population, building and housing censuses as well as of censuses of non-agricultural local units; and the use of the population census as a sampling and extrapolation frame for population sample surveys (microcensus) are worth mentioning. From a material-systematic point of view, close links exist with other population and economic statistics:

– With current population statistics, used for updating the population census results;

– with the microcensus by means of which structural data of the population census are annually updated within the scope of a sample survey;

– with statistics of employed persons which annually cover about 75% of the economically active persons in a detailed regional breakdown; and

– with the census of non-agricultural local units which records the economically active persons at the place of work as opposed to recording them at the place of residence in the population census.

The emphasis of the utilization of the population census is on the analysis of its results, frequently also drawing upon other statistics. Main fields of evaluation are:

– ‘Population development’, the simple number of the population serving as a measure for various laws (e.g. for the financial compensation between different public authorities), and, together with additional demographic data providing an essential basis for the provision of e.g. infrastructure installations;

– ‘Economy’, with the classification of economically active persons for market analyses being in the centre of interest;

– ‘Old-age provision’, both public and private pension insurance funds requiring data from the population census;

– ‘Regional planning’, aiming at ensuring equivalent living conditions across the country.